A Google Executive Shares Her Best Advice for Young People

A Google Executive Shares Her Best Advice for Young People Ivy Ross is a tech executive heading up Google’s top-secret wearables division, but she didn’t follow what you might consider a traditional path to get there. She’s been a jewelry designer, with her work appearing in some of the world’s best museums, and she has worked at multiple companies- including both Mattel and Gap Inc.  When she gave a recent Commencement Address at FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology), Ross explained how it was because of and not in spite of her unorthodox career path that she gained the success and fulfillment she currently enjoys.Here is her best advice for young people  just starting out.Ignore Your EgoAfter Ross’s jewelry designs hit their 12th  major museum and she’d won the De Beers Diamonds International Award, Ross realized her heart just wasn’t in it like it used to be. She’d worked so hard to achieve the kind of recognition she was receiving, but now that she’d attained the hi ghest heights- accomplishments any designer would spend an entire lifetime working towards- she had nowhere else to push herself.Having her ego’s biggest desires met helped Ross to let go of those desires to try and see what other desires lay beneath them. And she found she gained a lot more satisfaction turning her talents to team work and the joy of creating things collaboratively with others.Stop Planning Too Far OutPlans are always necessary in some form or another. But the ubiquitous 5-year plan that everyone insists upon? Ross says ditch it. Could she possibly have predicted 5 years ago, for example, that she’d be spearheading a secret Google project? Of course not. Would she have been too restricted to try had she laid out a stringent 5-year plan in another field? Probably not- and that’s her point.Ross thinks 5-year plans are the way of the past, particularly given the rapid pace at which industries and technologies are changing and how often new opportu nities present themselves. Staying open to different possibilities is difficult, but doing so can shape the most rewarding careers.Appreciate the  Here and NowRoss maintains that following the â€Å"ideal career path† won’t necessarily get you where you want to go. Don’t  take jobs with the question, â€Å"Where will this get me?† in mind. Try asking instead, â€Å"What can I learn here?† or â€Å"Can I do what I do best in this environment?†Take your eye off the end game and ignore the destination. Figure out who you are an what you’re good at, and just follow your heart.

Hypothesis, Model, Theory, and Law

Hypothesis, Model, Theory, and Law In common usage, the words hypothesis, model, theory, and law have different interpretations and are at times used without precision, but in science they have very exact meanings. Hypothesis Perhaps the most difficult and intriguing step is the development of a specific, testable hypothesis. A useful hypothesis enables predictions by applying deductive reasoning, often in the form of mathematical analysis. It is a limited statement regarding the cause and effect in a specific situation, which can be tested by experimentation and observation or by statistical analysis of the probabilities from the data obtained. The outcome of the test hypothesis should be currently unknown, so that the results can provide useful data regarding the validity of the hypothesis. Sometimes a hypothesis is developed that must wait for new knowledge or technology to be testable. The concept of atoms was proposed by the ancient Greeks, who had no means of testing it. Centuries later, when more knowledge became available, the hypothesis gained support and was eventually accepted by the scientific community, though it has had to be amended many times over the year. Atoms are not indivisible, as the Greeks supposed. Model A model is used for situations when it is known that the hypothesis has a limitation on its validity. The Bohr model of the atom, for example, depicts electrons circling the atomic nucleus in a fashion similar to planets in the solar system. This model is useful in determining the energies of the quantum states of the electron in the simple hydrogen atom, but it is by no means represents the true nature of the atom. Scientists (and science students) often use such idealized models  to get an initial grasp on analyzing complex situations. Theory and Law A scientific theory or law represents a hypothesis (or group of related hypotheses) which has been confirmed through repeated testing, almost always conducted over a span of many years. Generally, a theory is an explanation for a set of related phenomena, like the theory of evolution or the big bang theory.   The word law is often invoked in reference to a specific mathematical equation that relates the different elements within a theory. Pascals Law  refers an equation that describes differences in pressure based on height. In the overall theory of universal gravitation developed by Sir Isaac Newton, the key equation that describes the gravitational attraction between two objects is called the law of gravity. These days, physicists rarely apply the word law to their ideas. In part, this is because so many of the previous laws of nature were found to be not so much laws as guidelines, that work well within certain parameters but not within others. Scientific Paradigms Once a scientific theory is established, it is very hard to get the scientific community to discard it. In physics, the concept of ether as a medium for light wave transmission ran into serious opposition in the late 1800s, but it was not disregarded until the early 1900s, when Albert Einstein proposed alternate explanations for the wave nature of light that did not rely upon a medium for transmission. The science philosopher Thomas Kuhn developed the term scientific paradigm to explain the working set of theories under which science operates. He did extensive work on the scientific revolutions that take place when one paradigm is overturned in favor of a new set of theories. His work suggests that the very nature of science changes when these paradigms are significantly different. The nature of physics prior to relativity and quantum mechanics is fundamentally different from that after their discovery, just as biology prior to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is fundamentally different from the biology that followed it. The very nature of the inquiry changes. One consequence of the scientific method is to try to maintain consistency in the inquiry when these revolutions occur and to avoid attempts to overthrow existing paradigms on ideological grounds. Occam’s Razor One principle of note in regards to the scientific method is Occam’s Razor (alternately spelled Ockhams Razor), which is named after the 14th century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. Occam did not create the concept- the work of Thomas Aquinas and even Aristotle referred to some form of it. The name was first attributed to him (to our knowledge) in the 1800s, indicating that he must have espoused the philosophy enough that his name became associated with it. The Razor is often stated in Latin as: entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem or, translated to English: entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity Occams Razor indicates that the most simple explanation that fits the available data is the one which is preferable. Assuming that two hypotheses presented have equal predictive power, the one which makes the fewest assumptions and hypothetical entities takes precedence. This appeal to simplicity has been adopted by most of science, and is invoked in this popular quote by Albert Einstein: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. It is significant to note that Occams Razor does not prove that the simpler hypothesis is, indeed, the true explanation of how nature behaves. Scientific principles should be as simple as possible, but thats no proof that nature itself is simple. However, it is generally the case that when a more complex system is at work there is some element of the evidence which doesnt fit the simpler hypothesis, so Occams Razor is rarely wrong as it deals only with hypotheses of purely equal predictive power. The predictive power is more important than the simplicity. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

How strong was Tsarism in 1914 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How strong was Tsarism in 1914 - Essay Example If one looks at Russia before 1914 it may be possible to come to some ending about these various views. In the course of 1905 to 1907 there had been significant peasant unrest intended mainly at the gracious landowners. ‘’A lot of this had been put downward by oppression but the government also approved a number of measures intended to alleviate the circumstances, including the elimination of redemption duties and the addition of credit via the Peasant Land Bank’’ (Wade, 2005.p.25). ‘’Once he became Prime Minister, Stolypin set himself the job of pacifying the peasantry as the key to Russia’s long-term stability’’ (Gatrell, 1994.p.461). During the conflict, the administration had observed that the community had not been a warranty of rural steadiness. Indeed, it gave turbulence their consistency and organization. Thus, the solution was to support peasants to leave the community and to become confidential landowners. ‘ ’Stolypin’s plan was to make a group of peasant administrators with a stake in sustaining the regime (Polonov, 2005.p.50)’’. They could then be relied on to hold their radical neighbours in check. The rationale Stolypin surrendered the Duma for the agrarian reorganization was his wish to make a class of small, free farmers a gamble on the abstemious and the strong, which would be hard working and innovative. It was felt that the presented system encouraged the rising disintegration of the land because of the rise in population, and did not give the incentive to make advancements because the land did not stay in the family. In quintessence, what Stolypin planned was privatization. In August 1906, Stolypin prepared 6 million hectares of state and crown land obtainable for peasant buying and in October, the new management eliminated all limitations on peasant movement. Nevertheless, ‘’the key measure was his Land Law of 9 November 1906’⠀™ (Geary, 1989.p.17).’’The verdict passed this and Duma did not approve until June 1910’’ (Gatrell, 1994.p.78). ‘’It stated that in the third duma (1907-12) the main position was held by the Union of 17 October , the date of the regal manifesto of 1905, which was dedicated to working with the administration for improvement in the agrarian civil rights , field, worker’s insurance, education, justice and local regime’’(Mendum & Waugh,2001.p.47). They approved Stolypin’s agrarian improvement, passed unevenly under disaster verdict in 1906. ‘’The graciousness, which had endorsed Stolypin’s agrarian improvement, opposed him on a number of other problems where they felt their welfare or that of the realm threatened and they used their central location’’ (Saul, 1997.p. 45). If the duma had a small number of successful changes to its credit, it did alter extremely the climate of Russi an government by bringing bureaucrat mistreatments out into the open, and by empowering public talk of contentious problems. ‘’From 1912 there was a renaissance of workers’ actions following the slaughter of activists at the Lena gold mines in Siberia’’ (Bagnall & McGonigle, 2004.p.481) ‘’. Ultimately, this caused the erection of blockades and to street hostility in St Petersburg on the eve of the First World War’’ (Saul, 1997.p.34). ‘’Visions of a latest era of industrial harmony and prosperity were rudely shattered by a fresh wave of Labour complaint that began in April, 1912, once

International business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International business strategy - Essay Example As a direct result of this factor, businesses/organizations and entities rise or fall based upon the overall level of and effective culture that they are able to create within their respective divisions. Similarly, the external representation of culture is what impacts upon the consumers and in product/service users. As one can easily understand, and effective culture will create a positive feeling and likely generate a degree of returning consumers whereas negative aspects of culture will reduce overall sales and profitability and discourage repeat buyers of goods or services from integrating with a given company/organization within the future. As a means of understanding and defining the impact of culture plays upon a business entity, the following analysis will seek to understand the case of Shangri-La hotel group; an Asian hospitality chain that has sought to integrate its products and services into a more global market within the past several years. Firstly, due to the overall l evel of success that Shangri-La has been able to experience over the past several years, the reader/analyst can and should come to a unique understanding of the fact that the culture of this entity is ultimately a powerful positive motivator in determining the success that it has had in the past and will likely seek to continue to generate into the future. In short, it can be understood that the role of culture within Shangri-La holds a vitally important role in helping the firm to achieve the runaway success that it has within the broader markets of Asia. Before seeking to analyze the role in which culture has played in furthering and promoting the profitability and success of Shangri-La, this analysis will seek to briefly analyze and discuss some of the key cultural aspects that this author has selected to determine and define the level of service and success that of the far been realized. Although the following will not be an exhaustive list, it is the understanding of this parti cular analyst that these factors are of the utmost importance and have contributed greatly to the success and profitability that had been realized within the past several years. More importantly, as a result of a discussion and analysis of these factors, the reader can come to an understanding that in order for the firm to continue to display such a level of success and profitability, regardless of the particular market that they wish to integrate with, it is necessary for the business entity to continue to put forward these â€Å"best practices†. The term â€Å"Shangri-La† itself has come to mean a great many things throughout the world culture. However, the term is most basically understood as some type of ethereal paradise in which the eternal youth and happiness can be achieved. At an even more basic definition, within Asian cultures, Shangri-La means â€Å"eternal youth, peace, and tranquility†. Although will not be the purpose of this brief analysis to exp lain the means by which a name brand can promote a particular identity with regards to the consumer, as well as with regards to the derivation and promotion of a particular culture, these aspects must nonetheless be appreciated. In seeking to promote this idea of a paradise and tranquil place in which weary travelers can set their worries aside and enjoy and appreciate the solace that the hotel chain

Informal Report (Ch 9) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Informal Report (Ch 9) - Essay Example In order to be a registered nurse, one has to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a diploma course from an approved nursing program or even an associate degree in nursing. Other than having these academic qualifications, a registered nurse is required to undertake a licensing examination in order to be accorded a license to certify them to practice nursing legally. As at 2010, the annual salary of a registered nurse was $64,690. The future outlook of this career is slightly more than average as it is expected to grow at 26% before year 2020. This growth will be facilitated by the technological advancements, changes in healthcare and emphasis on preventive care. Being registered nurse will provide the basics in nursing and therefore career advancement to even become a head nurse or specialize in other areas of nursing like being a pediatric or cardiac nurse among other nursing career

Ryanair and GE Total Quality Management (TQM)

Ryanair and GE Total Quality Management (TQM) Quality Management : History and Purpose All businesses are concerned with quality, usually because they have come to understand that high quality can give a significant competitive advantage.[2] Good quality products and services reduce the costs of rework, waste, complaints and returns and, most importantly, generate satisfied customers. [1] It is noticed that quality is considered as one of the most important factor as a competitive tool. Total Quality Management (TQM) that became popular with all types of business in the late 1970s and 1980s has its roots in earlier work by several management thinkers. Feigenbaum popularized the term total quality management in 1957. After that it was developed through the work of several quality gurus including Deming, Juran, Ishikawa, Taguchi and Crosby. TQM can be viewed as a logical extension of the way in which quality-related practice has progressed. [2] Originally quality was achieved by inspection screening out defects before customers noticed them. Then the quality control (QC) concept developed a more systematic approach to not only detecting but also solving quality problems. Quality assurance (QA) widened the responsibility for quality to include functions other than direct operations, such as Human Resources, Accounting and Marketing[2]. Quality management has also made increasing use of advanced statistical quality techniques since 1980s through Six Sigma process input-output improvement to deliver quality. Some organisations such as Ryanair, Toyota etc. suggests and favour TQM as an outstanding turn around strategy where as some organisations such as GE, GM, Honeywell etc. has attained success through laying down Six Sigma in all its functional chains and processes and they firmly believe and live Six Sigma. Executive Summary This report follows my conclusions and understanding from readings and abstract from various reliable sources mentioned in the headers, footers and the dedicated referencing part of the report. The report introduces us to the quality approaches followed by Ryanair and GE who are from different industry having different orientations. The report also suggests why Ryanair has tag on TQM and how innovations, changes in business environment and competitiveness  are affected and later it is critically discussed that improvement is necessary in Ryanairs quality management to compete. Since the fashionable peak of TQM and Six Sigma, in general there has been some decline in its status, yet, many of its ideas included in this report, have become accepted quality practice. [2] Reflection in the Report: My perception before I started my studies and research into this subject matter, the Quality, was that the quality is found only in the expensive and branded products and that the Quality Control is the out put focused single method of quality management. My tutor, Mr. Sotunde, the guide to Operations and Process Management by Slack N. and co authors, various readings from Quality and Business magazines have clarified me the concept of quality and how it can be managed effectively. Firstly, I learnt that the quality is a value in product and/or service and it can be established by the customers expectations that are to be matched with the actual product and/or service. Secondly, quality cannot be measured with price alone as price is the major factor of companies strategy to exploit or to compete in the market and it is the financial factor to affect the profitability. But, quality can be found in low price products or services as well such as in Value for Money goods and services or it is found as a value that a company can deliver in its product or services for a justifiable price. I learnt that the quality function is not limited to the out put but it can be practised through out the organisation in to all its processes to produce or provide goods and services of the consistent quality as per the expectations of the customers. As it has to be practised universally it is the responsibility of all and the value of the quality should be understood and  communicated within and outside the organisation for example to the suppliers and distributors. Additionally, there are varieties of approaches to the Quality that are practised by different organisations. Though having similar functions, organisations in the same industry or in direct competition, it is seen that two different organisations follow different quality management approach and both are successful in terms of the quality goods and services it produce or provide. Establishing quality standards and following/meeting them sincerely is not enough for the organisations to stay longer on the edge because they could be copied or imitated by our competitors or new entrants or customers quality expectation might change. So, it is very much essential for organisations that they make every effort to improve their quality aspect. I have also learnt that the quality approach developed within the organisation such as TQM by Toyota and formalised Six Sigma by Motorola are difficult to be copied exactly overnight and if concepts adopted completely than too one cant beat them in their own game because they are constantly improving their functions and process to excel the customers perceptions, keeping them always a step ahead. It is also seen that quality standards are formalised by organisations such as ISO and ISI and organisations help each other by affiliations such as EFQM to improve the quality aspects in production or provision of goods and services. RYANAIR:[3] Ryanair, currently, Europes original and still largest low-fare, no frills airline with workforce of over 5,000 employees, around fleet of 250 aircrafts including new Boeing 737-800 aircrafts provide services to around 12m passengers every year to over 1,100 low-fare routes across 26 European countries. According to the CEO, Michael O Leary, Our customer service is about the most well defined in the world. We guarantee to give you the lowest air fare. You get a safe flight. You get a normally on-time flight. Thats the package. We dont, and wont, give you anything more. Are we going to say sorry for our lack of customer service? Absolutely not. If a plane is cancelled, will we put you up in a hotel overnight? Absolutely not. If a plane is delayed, will we give you a voucher for a restaurant? Absolutely not. [The other key information about Ryanair Ltd., please refer to Appendix 1] GE: [9] GE is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the worlds toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. Their businesses fuel the global economy and improve peoples lives. Their global research team with more than 2,500 researchers working towards the next breakthrough, GE is positioned to continually innovate, invent and reinvent. General Electric (GE) says that its commitment to quality is based on the ideas of globalization and instant access to information, and products and services that continue to change the way its customers conduct business. Their quality mission statement reads, in part, Todays competitive environment leaves no room for error. We must meet our customers needs and relentlessly look for new ways to exceed their expectations. Ryanair v/s GE Quality Philosophy and approach: For both Ryanair and GE, quality means the consistent conformance to customers expectations by laying down the concepts of service quality, process management, quality assertion and quality perfection, but, their approach to quality management is quite different. Ryanair and TQM: Ryanair offers value for money, point-to-point air travel and aims nothing close to luxurious service. Quality provision at Ryanair is intended from their point of view giving adequate consideration to the expectations and perceptions of their targeted segment for the fare it is offering and it is seen that Ryanair is delivering these expectations by its on time journeys, passenger and baggage safety, good appearance and attitude of crews, the way it meets the industry challenges and resolves the service failures. Since 1997, it has adopted and living the total quality management to deliver its quality objectives through its Lowest Fares and Passenger Service Charter. [6] The up to date highlights (non-exhaustive, for complete list please follow Appendix 1) from this charter stating their significant commitments are: To offer the lowest fares at all time on all routes. To notify passengers of known delays, cancellations and diversions. To allow reservation changes. To respond quickly to passenger complaints and provide prompt refunds. To take measures to speed up check-in. The success and growth that Ryanair is currently enjoying is due to providing the best value for money service as right first time in all its functions from booking the ticket to the baggage handling. It is universally understood within the organisation that little extra effort will bring big results and these efforts do not require a huge investment in training. The Ryanair control its functions and processes through its industry benchmarking and setting its own internal quality standards. It uses Servicemail and other performance statistics to evaluate their position in their highly competitive aviation industry. GE and Six Sigma: Most of the GE business segments are involved in large scale manufacturing activities at a greater extent. In 1988 with a program called Work-Out, GE started focusing on quality issues that has helped them to open its corporate culture to established ideas from any quarter regarding quality management that later created an environment that eventually led to Six Sigma. Work-Out was used to identify and eliminate unneeded processes and tasks by development teams from multiple departments to find a solution to a problem. Now, Six Sigma is embedding quality thinking into every level of operation around the globe. These uses statistical tools and systems to monitor and control processes and functions to have outputs close to zero defects. The three key elements that GE focuses to their quality initiatives are customers, processes and employees. Everything the company does in its quest for world-class quality focuses on these three essential elements. Customers are at the centre of GE universe and they define quality by their expectations of performance, reliability and other factors. To attain the level of quality that their customers require, GE conducts what it calls Outside-In Thinking. Outside-In Thinking calls on GE to look at its business from its customers perspective. By understanding the transaction lifecycle from the customers needs and processes, we can discover what they are seeing and feeling. With this knowledge, we can identify areas where we can add significant value or improvement from their perspective, GEs quality statement reads. The employees are a key to the quality approach and at GE, quality is embedded as the responsibility of every employee. Keeping this in mind, all GE employees are provided training in the strategy, statistical tools and techniques of Six Sigma Quality. Variety of training courses are offered at different levels including basic awareness to Six Sigma; basic tool introduction to equip employees to participate on Six Sigma teams; Master Black Belt, Black Belt and Green Belt Training for leader managers; and Design for Six Sigma training. Summing-up: Both, Ryanair and GE are trying to deliver exceeding quality products and services to both their internal and external customers, clearly understanding that quality is a consistent versatile activity having both quantitative and non-quantitative attributes such as re-visiting customer? Yes/No. They have emphasised and communicated throughout the organisation that quality is the responsibility of every individual and through these responsibility they ensures that all processes, inputs and outputs, maintain and produce consistent confirmative level of quality products and services. Is TQM really good for Ryanair? Ryanairs business strategy is based upon the product orientation for its air travel and quality strategy as the customer orientation. Ryanair is constantly trying to keep its costs as low as possible to transfer benefits of cost savings to its passenger in the form of low fares. The common misconception is that the quality comes for price. Critically, it can be argued that quality can be delivered for the low price service as well, rather again to say simply, Quality in Price. In these past 25 years, Ryanair has well balanced the expectations and perceptions by introducing revolutionary and innovative ways of providing low fare air travel. Keeping its target market in centre, they have defined and communicated the quality of their services in their own terms. Ryanairs customers know what they will get and their job is to deliver these expectations at its best by managing each and every, direct and indirect processes that are related to the passengers which are later judged by passengers experience. Ryanairs approach to its quality management as different from other successful organisations such as GE has serious implications on its innovations, changing business environment and competition. Innovations in Ryanair: Putting an innovative thought into quick action is the core competence of Ryanair. Most of the Ryanair innovative ideas have brought the revolution in the way people perceived travelling by air. For many successful companies such as GE, innovations has cost them fortune and these costs were recovered from customers in the higher prices, but, for Ryanair innovations were implementing a simple ideas bringing additional revenues that in turn benefiting customers in lowest price tickets. Firstly, with its turn around strategy of mid 1990s, Ryanair, apart from no frills has introduced no class, single model air crafts. These fleets of hundreds of aircrafts were ordered often and bought at a heavy discount. The overhead cost of training and cleaning were brought down to nominal because of these standardised aircrafts. The focus and resources were diverted to introduce new routes, increasing customer base and harnessing quality factors in its provision of services. From 2000 and onwards it started using the e-commerce tools and websites for online booking, check-in and informing customers about the special offers on its tickets. Ryanair was first to advertise third parties advertisement on its boarding pass and flights. The customer service were improved by introduction of web application, Bing, that updates air fares directly to its customers computer and by implementing a Servicemail, a point of contact and response for customers. Servicemail is then extended to collect data regarding customer choices, preferences, trend analysis and measuring KPIs. In future: The fare charged by Ryanair reflects the price of travelling from point A to B. It offers other ancillary services such as in flight meals, drinks, baggage costs etc. at a charge for those who want it. The lasting visionary CEO, OLeary has a vision that in coming years travel by Ryanair will be free and all its revenue will be streamed by providing ancillary services, third party advertisements, holidays, insurance, hotels and connections bookings sold through Ryanair website. Change: TQM approach adopted by Ryanair is a flexible approach to a change in external circumstances as it has to just focus do new thing at its best but at lower cost. Customers: Ryanair is a focused cost leader and open to customer fatigue so it has to understand that in the long run it has to move along with the taste of the customer that might be affected by pressure groups, regulators, EU and other regional governments. Currently, Ryanair is managed by an aggressive approach to capture market and in future it might require strategic rethinking, but, its approach to quality can stay the same to entice and satisfy passengers. [Please refer to Number 1 Customer Services Statistics in the Appendix 4][8] Suppliers: The advantage to Ryanair is that within UK and Europe, each major region of the countries has more than one airport, which can accommodate Ryanair at competitive rates on landing and handling fees, leaving Ryanair with the upper hand. The traffic at these secondary airports is low increasing the quality level of airport handling services and on-time departures enjoyed by the passengers. The other suppliers are caterers, maintenance and repair contractors. It is natural that Ryanair must be managing its suppliers relationship through service level agreements with a backed hefty compensation for the breach of service term(s). EU and Local Governments: The growth of the Ryanair rooted due to EUs deregulation of the aviation industry. EU court decision can negatively impact upon the way Ryanair is functioning. For instance, Ryanair was forced to refund against its non-refund policy for flight cancellations due to Icelandic volcanic eruptions and was charged 3m Euros by Italian Government for not helping passengers after its flight cancellations. To stay in business and avoid fines Ryanair has to comply with such unavoidable regulations but it could not impair its quality approach as others too have to comply. Quality and Competitiveness: Of course, quality products and services are the competitive advantage and Ryanair keenly has laid down this aspect into it air flights and routes. The key to success of Ryanair is implementing different marketing strategies over a period of time to survive the cut throat competition in the aviation industry. Ryanair is recognised as the most punctual flight from Dublin to London and Ryanair is top rated against its close competitors such as EasyJet, Virgin and British Airways. People made it possible statement is true for Ryanair because the success of Ryanair is behind its crew members as they are in the direct contact with the passengers. Ryanair has not spent much on the training but is paying modestly to its crew and this has encouraged them to behave as pleasantly as possible on the flights. There are concerns raised from some unsatisfied customers and dissident that the ancillary services provided by Ryanair are priced high and are of poor quality. Ryanair should deal with this issue as early as possible as the success of total quality management lies upon delivering quality in all aspects of its activities. Despite all cutting corners to save on ticket prices, more and more people are flying Ryanair, which, in the end, might be the ultimate validation of OLearys assessment of what travellers really want and how Ryanair is delivering it. [Please refer to the Appendix 3: The Customer Feedbacks][7] However, TQM is not the end in itself. Ryanair should continuously strive upon improving its quality standards that can help them to further reduce costs, increase revenues, reduce risks and improve the way it helps handle complaints and dissatisfied passengers. Improving Quality in Ryanair The ultimate aim of operations and process management is the performance improvement and Ryanair should consider this as an ultimate objective to improve its quality objectives of on time flights, speed, ancillary services and dependability. Despite of all efforts to manage its quality, Ryanair is seen and blamed that it sacrifices the quality in pursuit of minimising costs and that it fails to align the interests of its passengers well. These issues could be addressed by setting the minimum performance standards and outperforming them, as well said, promise little and deliver above expectations. One way Ryanair could win its goal to become worlds biggest and cheapest airliner is by aligning all its functions within the organisations to commit to quality levels and agreeing the quality deliverables with its contractors. Kaizen aka Continuous Improvement if adopted could blend well with the current TQM approach followed by Ryanair, however, this could affect the innovations, change an d current competitive position in a favourable manner. Kaizen involves focus on small but never ending improvements that will become part of normal culture for all operations. Innovations: We are aware that since 1997 Ryanairs passenger base is growing at a tremendous 20% average every year and it still has an appetite for growth and market to expand. It has become increasingly important that Ryanair addresses the improvement issue in its quality management to satisfy this increased demand, number of new routes, destinations and growth prospects with Kaizen. Ryanair could extend or assign the responsibility towards quality improvement to the regional processes owners affecting passengers quality perception. These processes owners would identify the performance gaps and recommend actions to fulfil them by innovative actions or contribute ideas for further analysis. A close contact is required with the crew members who will bring them the stories or experience they had with customers and how they overcame the demands or problems of different customers. We have Servicemail as a point of customer contacts and correspondences, but, we may need a system for internal communications that could be called a Central Information System (CIS). Through CIS every crew teams, employees and contractors as a lean system, directly submit key ideas, stories, experience to their respective process owner, who in turn filter the messages and re-post it that shall be compulsorily viewed, shared, commented and recommended upon by all regional process owners for further analysis that may involve the PDCA cycle or DMAIC cycle approach. This simple CIS should not cost much as it could be readily available or produced upon demand by the tendering process. Assuming that majority of them are computer literate and CIS very user friendly will require bare minimum costs for informing or training. The most contributing team or processes should be measured with process excellence index aka EPI and rewarded on quarterly basis. The other direct and simple approach for improvement is to circulate a postcard size blank form on flight with two columns to list down by passengers good about and dissatisfied about travelling with Ryanair. The employees should be encouraged to identify and forward negative feedbacks only using CIS with a confidence and surety that they will not be judged in any case against negative feedbacks and that the forms will be used for general improvement of quality standards as a whole. Change and Competitiveness: The improved quality means increased revenue and profits due to increased turnover. The Kaizen approach in low cost EU and UK Airline service segment will identify, distinguish and advantage Ryanair from its competitors. If, Ryanair act now and fully implement Kaizen by December 2011 then they could become a cost-cum-service leader, a fully innovative airliner, with the cheapest fares simply covering quality cost of travel and chargeable ancillary quality efficient services with a minimum premium for those who want them. This development will help Ryanair to become a worlds popular brand and will advantage Ryanair in 2012 when the number of international passengers will increase more than double due to London Olympics. In many instances Ryanair was criticised by the regulators and competitors for not giving any or enough quality in passengers safety and ancillary services. Now, with Kaizen all will be reversed and Ryanair will be considered as the industry leader setting the industry landmarks for benchmarking. Ryanair has publicly announced that by 2014 it will enter the long haul destinations market and this will require them for a parallel strategic thinking as this segment will bring new challenges in terms of quality management. These routes are proposed to be separately managed, perhaps with most traditional form of flights and some compulsory on board services which will require Ryanair to establish new service standards. There is a scope of success in this segment if it can effectively extend and use of then well functioning Servicemail, CIS and other critical success factors such as brand, price and well established quality standards using Kaizen. Word count: Executive Summary 121 Reflection in the Report 493 Ryanair and GE Introductions 297 Ryanair v/s GE 732 Is TQM good for Ryanair 1,117 Improving Quality in Ryanair 819 Total : 3,579

Overview Program Evaluation

Overview of Program Evaluation HCS/549 April 15, 2013 Overview of Program Evaluation Program evaluation is a useful resource to evaluate programs that are currently an organization or an industry is making good use of. Evaluating programs not only bring out the strengths and weaknesses but also identifies the picture of the plans implemented. The purpose of this paper is to examine the purpose for program evaluation and why it can be useful to an organization.This paper will speak of the five most common types of program evaluation models and will select one program evaluation model to describe from week one’s reading. Purpose for program evaluation â€Å"There is only one overall purpose for program evaluation activities: contributing to the provision of quality services to people in need. Program evaluation contributes to quality services by providing feedback from program activities and outcomes to those who can make changes in programs† (Posavac & Carey, 2007, p. 14 ).If there is no feedback, then the programs will be very hard to carry out and be effective. The processes of evaluation require feedback systems; similarly, feedback on behavior in organizations is also crucial for the success of an organization. Delayed feedback, not clearly associated with the examination of behavior, is not very informative. In the readings, the writers have argued that environmental problems are hard to solve because of the long delay between environmentally destructive activities and feedback indicating a weakening of natural systems. Assessing needs, measuring the implementation of programs to meet those needs, evaluating the achievement of carefully formed goals and objectives, and comparing the level of outcome with the costs involved relative to similar programs serve to provide information from which to develop program improvements† (Posavac & Carey, 2007, p. 14). This is useful for organizations because it gives them an idea of their programs and what needs help if there are any issues related to the programs evaluated. Five most common modelsA number of different approaches to evaluation have been put forward to guide the planning and implementation of program evaluations. Each of the models discussed includes emphases that are valid aspects of program evaluation. â€Å"One value of thinking about models lies in developing an appreciation of the range of questions evaluators can consider. The specific questions being addressed by an evaluation or the specific aspects of the program setting often make one or another of the models especially useful† (Posavac & Carey, 2007, p. 23-25).The models: The traditional model, Social Science model, Industrial Inspection model, Black Box Evaluation, and Objectives-Based Evaluation model, are very common and helpful in different types of organizations and environment. The model that is very interesting to use and describe is the Objective-Based Evaluation model. Objectives-Based E valuation In an effort to design an evaluation for a specific program, some approaches emphasize working with clearly stated program goals and objectives so that the degree to which such goals and objectives are achieved can be measured. This has been the most prevalent model used for program evaluation. Examining goals and objectives seems to be an essential aspect of evaluation; it is important to judge a program relative to its particular structure and what it is designed to achieve† (Posavac & Carey, 2007, p. 23-25). It is very important for organizations to clearly and closely examine their goals and objectives to successfully plan for future. At the same time, taking objectives-based evaluation to evaluate the situation is also important to know the points of view of the staff in the organization. ConclusionIn conclusion, evaluation of different types of programs is important in organizations because it bring out the ups and downs of the organization. Purpose of program evaluation is to provide feedback that can be helpful for organizations. Without feedback, the organizations programs cannot be effective or put in proper use. Also feedback on behaviors within the program evaluations is crucial for the success of an organization. The five models: The traditional model, Social Science model, Industrial Inspection model, Black Box Evaluation, and Objectives-Based Evaluation model give a ood idea of what it is like to use these models in different scenarios. The Objective-based model is the most prevalent model to use because it closely examines goals and objective that play an important part in an organization. Using this model a company or an organization can prepare for plans and goals, which can be achieved successfully. Reference Posavac, E. J. , & Carey, R. G. (2007). Program Evaluation: Methods and Case Studies (7th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.